by: Val Strate
Christmas never seemed this somber around the Strate Clan celebration as this one. The old white farmhouse where Enos Strate and his twin sister Valerie grew up at was filled with guests. The warm glow of holiday candles filled the windows along with the huge decorated seven foot Douglas fir that stood proudly in the den. The topper on the mighty tree was just inches away from brushing the ceiling. Valerie stood in front of the tree with her holiday mug filled with cocoa and spirits, as she admired the carved wooden angel topper whose halo was almost touching the ceiling. A blue Christmas light happened to be wrapped in the right place ironically and seemed to almost tell the mood of the house. The guests were rather quiet this year. There wasn’t as much laughter in the house. The holiday mood was still present, but something was missing and everyone knew what it was.
“He did a good job on that angel.” a male voice said behind Val. She turned to see her brother dressed in his black slacks, sky blue cotton dress shirt and holiday tie.
Taking a sip from her mug, Val nodded then took a sip from her mug. Her jeans and sweatshirt gave contrast to her brother’s nice attire. Enos dressed in more business clothes that he ever did before lately, especially after his win for the office of County Sheriff. The twin brother watched his sister stand there in jeans, flannel, and braids. It had been a long time since she braided her hair like that but he knew why she had done it. He looked to the angel on the tree and noticed the pretty dark braids that matched his sister’s. They were made of the same rich chocolate hair as Valerie’s. In fact, he remembered the day their mother cut Val’s hair and gave the locks to their grandfather for the angel. Enos stepped closer to the middle aged woman and pulled her into a hug. Setting her mug down, she rested her head on her twin’s shoulder and took a hitched breath. The soft murmured sounds in the kitchen and other rooms seemed to be drowned out as the twins stood in silence at their grief.
“Why?! Why now… Christmas was his favorite holiday. Why? I mean why couldn’t God have taken’ him after the first of the year!” Val sobbed softly into her brother’s shoulder.
Enos sighed as he rocked his twin. She would probably be the one to take this the hardest. Their older sister Josephine lived in Alabama and didn’t make it over as much; and Enos himself was busy with his family. He had his wife Daisy Duke, who was expecting their second child, and their son Scott. Of course Val would be the one to have to be around to help take care of things. Sure Grandpa Strate lived with their parents, but this past year it was too much for their own aging parents and Valerie took over caring for him. She was determined to not see him go to a home. So the family hired a home health aide to come to the house when Valerie could not be there. The past year was hard on the Hazzard County Game Warden, but she took it in stride and now it was over. The pain that the old man had been feeling was finally gone and he had been given his reward on December 15th of this year.
Enos drew a heavy breath as he clung tight to his grieving twin. He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt for not being around as much to help with Grandpa Strate, but his sister needed him now. The silence was broken by a lighter voice, “Enos, Val, ya wanna come and-…oh.”
It was their older sister Josephine. Having just entered the room, she saw her siblings clinging together by the tree. The shorter blond moved in silently to the room and huddled close to her sibs and ran her hand comfortingly down Val’s back, “I’m sorry sugar.”
With that Val broke away from her twin and her sister and stepped away into the other room, sobbing and trying to dry her own eyes. Enos sighed in dismay and Josephine looked at her brother slightly confused, “What? Is it something-…”
“No Jo, she just don’t like to have a whole bunch of folks fuss over her at once.” Enos answered then patted his older sister’s shoulder reassuringly.
Josephine looked to Enos, “Really how is she taking this?”
“Hard.” Enos said flatly.
Josephine’s shoulders slumped, “Poor Val.”
The older sister left her brother for a moment to stand there and stew in his own juices. Enos looked at the tree, putting his hands into his pockets; he walked back into the kitchen where most of the family was. All the members in the room were either talking, eating, or playing board games of some sort. His pregnant wife drifted over. Her brown curls cascaded over her face and she held an elegant footed glass of orange juice that was garnished with a slice of orange and cherry. Daisy smiled at her husband thoughtfully and asked in a gentle tone, “You ok?”
“Yeah, it’s just my sister.” the Sheriff-elect said to his wife as he stood there in the doorway of the kitchen, looking over at his parents and the other family members playing games and gossiping.
Daisy mused a hand through his short dark hair, “Which one, Jo or Val?”
“The emotional dark haired one…” He answered flatly.
“Ah, yeah, she would be takin’ this hard. She watched over Grandpa Earl all this past year.” Daisy stated as she shook her head and took a sip of her orange juice.
Enos nodded then glanced down at his wife’s red sweater covered swollen tummy, “How’s the baby?”
“She’s fine. She wants some of that good chocolate fudge that yer mama makes tho’.” Daisy smiled lightly giving a little humor to the tense mood.
Enos blushed then walked over to the buffet table of sweets and picked up a chunk of the gooey chocolate confection and offered it to his wife, who plucked it from his fingers and popped it into her mouth with a smile gracing her face.
“Ya weren’t gonna take it from my fingers where ya?” Enos chuckled as he licked some of the remaining fudge off of his fingers.
“Nope. There are yug’ins ‘round.” Daisy answered then moved into the room and mingled more leaving her husband to flush on his own.
The soft sounds of Christmas music played on the radio and the murmurs and an occasional short laugh would fill the atmosphere of the house. Enos then drifted out of the kitchen and to the room where his sister Valerie had gone into. She was no longer there. Enos gave another heavy sigh and walked back into the kitchen to join the holiday hub-bub.
Valerie had left the farm house to be on her own. The young Game Warden left the party and took a short drive to the cemetery to where her grandfather lay. As she knelt down on the cold leaf covered earth by the tombstone and touched the name of her grandfather that was etched into the stone, “Earl Enos Strate, Born: January 9th, 1910. Died: December 15th, 2000” The cool wind touched her cheeks and the moisture from Val’s eyes stung her skin.
Daisy met Enos back in the kitchen again and saw the worry painted on his face, “So, how is she?”
“She’s not there.” Enos answered his wife softly.
“Not there? What do ya mean sug?” Daisy asked finishing her non-alcoholic beverage.
“I mean she ain’t there.” He answered a little louder almost a slight snap but not meaning to. A few relatives stopped what they were doing and took notice. That’s when he moved past his wife a moment to get his coat, “I gotta find her.”
“Wait a minute….” Daisy told her husband as she grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving the party. She then appealed to the clan, “Attention everybody, has anybody seen Val?”
Several relatives shook their heads except for one of Josephine’s children, the youngest, little Bobby, “I saw her leave Aunt Daisy. She took her coat with her.”
“I’ll go look for her, Enos.” Daisy then answered.
“But yer pregnant honey. You should stay here where it’s warm.” Enos protested.
Daisy shook her head, “Just cause I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t drive a car. I’ll be fine Enos. I’m not gonna go into labor any time soon and I have a cell phone to call ya with. We have another three months to go yet honey.”
“But, how will ya find her? She could be anywhere Daisy.” Enos asked as he was taking off his coat and she was putting her’s on.
“Trust me honey, I know.” Daisy smiled then left.
Valerie wiped the tears back from her cheeks and sniffled softly, “I know ya wouldn’t want me cryin’ like this but I’m sorry. I can’t stop it. I miss you. I love you Grandpa. ”
Memories of the old man flashed through her mind. He was gone. Even in his last year on Earth, he gave her memories that she’d never forget. Now she would have to go home to the farm house again and be alone, “I know you were lookin’ forward to this holiday. And well… So was I…”
“Ya know I don’t think Pappy Earl would want ya here crying over his grave when he’s back at the house.” A voice behind Valerie spoke. Val dried her eyes and turned to see Daisy standing by her, “Can I join you?”
“Yeah… How’d ya know I was here?” The crying woman asked her sister-in-law.
“Cuz, when Jesse passed about three years ago. I had to see him too, alone at his grave.” Daisy answered with a gentle understanding smile.
Valerie nodded but remained silent.
“You know he loved Christmas Val. It was his favorite holiday.” Daisy spoke soft.
“Yeah, it was. He carved the head for our tree topper and made us wooden ornaments every year. Told us kids Christmas stories, went with us every year he was able to pick out a tree and helped decorate it…” Valerie sniffed as she wiped an emerging tear from her eye.
“Then you know that he wouldn’t be here on Christmas.” Daisy answered. “He wouldn’t be sad either.”
Valerie was silent for a moment, taking in what Daisy had just said.
“His spirit would be back at your parents’ house, watchin’ over you and your family. He’d be smiling at his great-grand kids opening their presents. He’d laugh at the silly jokes told, the board games played, and the joy that is in that house on Christmas. You’re blessed Val. Heck, I’m even blessed cause Enos married me and brought me into ya’lls family. You know that and you know what I’m talkin’ about sugar. Yer grand-pappy is in that house and he’s in heaven as well, lookin’ down on you. I’m sure sug that he wouldn’t want you to be sitting alone out here on Christmas, weepin’ over him.” Daisy explained.
“But it hurts so much…” Valerie whispered as she looked at the tombstone.
“It’s going to. I don’t think it will really ever stop hurting. It just gets more bearable sugar. Believe me. I know.”
“I guess you would.”
The women sat there in silence looking over the grave for a few moments. Valerie sniffled and pulled a tissue from her pocket to help dry her eyes, “Ya know he made that angel for me…”
“I know. Enos told me all about it. He misses his grandfather very much too.” Daisy answered softly. Val nodded then stood up, signaling it was time for them to leave. The two women then got into their cars and returned to the party. By the time they got there, the first round of presents was being distributed. Val and Daisy found seats in the den among the other family members. After watching many of the children open gifts it was now time for the grownups. As gifts were passed around the room, Valerie ended up with a small brown paper wrapped box with some yarn tied around it for a bow. It was a rather simple looking gift on the outside but inside held something much more. All the relatives’ eyes seemed drawn to her when she read the tiny tag, “To Valerie… Love Pappy.”
Val sighed and pulled the wrappings off as she opened the tiny jewelry sized box. Inside it held an opal necklace with a note.
My Sweet Child Valerie,
Thank you for taking care of me in my hours of need. I love you very much. Just as I love all my grandchildren. Enclosed is an opal necklace that I gave your passed on grandmother for Christmas, sixty years ago. Since it was her birthstone like yours, I figured you would want it. For opals are bad luck to wear if it ain’t your birthstone. When I gave it to her, I told her that I had no idea what to get her for Christmas that year. I bought the necklace at a pawn shop one December day after a shine delivery in Atlanta. It was the only way I could afford it. When she opened the gift Christmas morn, she scolded me for spending so much on her but beamed at the opal and its beauty. She told me that it reminded her of winter snow, like they have in the North, and that it was a piece of winter frozen in that little rock. To us this necklace reminded us both of Christmas, and now I want you to have it.
With Love,
Pappy Earl
The whole room was silent for a moment and Valerie flushed with flattery and embarrassment. Then ooo’s and aaaah’s came as aunts and cousins all loomed over for a look at their deceased matriarch’s necklace. Val handed the box to another relative who showed it to another and soon the whole room got to see the pretty white fire filled pendent. Soon the necklace came back to her and she thoughtfully closed the box and tucked it safely away and the celebration continued. As Valerie sat there watching her relatives unwrap gifts she felt a little warmer in her own heart, knowing that Daisy was right. Grandpa Earl really was there.
The End…